Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Kilbride '81 is quoted in The Madison Record on increasing attorney fees to practice law in Illinois.

The Illinois Supreme Court amended Supreme Court Rule 756 so that attorneys will now have to pay an additional $53 a year to practice law in Illinois. The annual attorney registration fee jumped from $289 to $342. The court has earmarked the $53 hike for The Lawyers Trust Fund of Illinois (LTF), a nonprofit foundation that awards grants to some of the state's civil legal aid providers.

"Since its inception, the Lawyers Trust Fund has been integral in providing access to our system of justice to those who can least afford it," Chief Justice Thomas L. Kilbride said in a statement. "It is a very important goal and even more so in these economic times. It demonstrates a clear commitment by the full Court to continue to encourage attorneys in Illinois to assume responsibility for those unable to afford legal services."